The invention relates to a vehicle body structure with a body reinforcement behind the second row of seats.
Such a generic body reinforcement is known from DE 10 2004 014 664 A1 and includes a beam assembly which is formed from two opposing longitudinal side beams, a floor crossbeam, and two vertical side beams. A left-side longitudinal side beam, an associated left end of the floor crossbeam, and a left-side vertical side beam are respectively connected to a left-side nodal point. Likewise, the second right-side longitudinal beam is connected with the right-side end of the floor crossbeam and the second right-side vertical side beam at a right-side nodal point. In addition, corner reinforcements are attached at both nodal points to provide increased stiffening in the transverse plane of the floor crossbeam and the vertical side beams.
Such corner reinforcements at the floor-side nodal points are well-suited and generally known measures to attain body stiffening in the rear body region, in particular against body twist as a result of operation and as protective measure against a crash from the side. DE 10 2004 027 377 A1 discloses, for example, an arrangement with a floor crossbeam which is guided on either end with a corner reinforcement over a longitudinal side beam and further is bent upwardly to a short vertical side beam element and connected with a wheel well carrier.
It is further generally known in the field of sedan bodies to improve the stiffness of the body in vehicles with a foldable rear bench seat in the area of the rear wheel wells and the rear window shelf by closing the generic beam assembly with an upper crossbeam to a torsional ring in the area of the rear window shelf. Also in this case, corner reinforcements of the floor-side nodal points are configured in a known manner by welding corner-reinforcing sheet-metal angles for material reinforcement.
A similar sheet-metal angle reinforcement is also implemented in a generally known manner in station wagons, using vertical side beams in the form of C-pillars which extend up to the roof region so as to realize also in this case a closed torsion ring via the roof structure.
The beam assembly arrangement disclosed in DE 10 2004 027 377 A1 has only a slight torsion-reducing effect as a result of the short vertical side beam attachment to the wheel wells. In addition, all beam assembly arrangements described above as related art are very complex to produce and to install, in particular when using separate corner reinforcement parts. Furthermore, each involves a conventional steel body construction without special measures to reduce weight.
In generally known modern vehicle bodies materials made of light metals or light metal alloys, in particular aluminum, are used in addition to aerodynamic designs to reduce fuel consumption in an environmentally friendly manner by saving weight. The stiffness and joining technologies for light metal components differ from the previous conventional, exclusive steel plate construction which poses problems that have to be solved with a material mix which is precisely adjusted to the respective site of the vehicle body, and a respective combination of components as well as cost-efficient and appropriate joining techniques for a use in large series.